In this episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, host Brent Hutto is joined by Liz Wayne, founder and CEO of Able Transport Solutions INC.

Liz Wayne is the Founder and CEO of Able Transport Solutions INC, a freight brokerage specializing in flatbed, heavy haul, and expedited shipping. Starting her career as a single mom at 18, Liz worked her way up through various roles in the trucking industry before founding Able Transport in 2014. Her company has since grown to be a respected player in the logistics field, with plans to double in size over the next three years.

[00:02:49 - 00:05:06] Liz shares how she "stumbled" into the trucking industry 23 years ago. As a young single mother preparing for college, she needed a job with office hours that aligned with daycare availability. She applied for office jobs and landed a position as a receptionist at a local trucking company. Initially viewing it as a temporary role, Liz was surprised by the challenges and problem-solving opportunities the industry presented. Her curiosity and willingness to help others led her to learn about various aspects of the business, setting the foundation for her career in logistics.

[00:24:20 - 00:26:59] Liz recounts a pivotal moment in her entrepreneurial journey that highlighted the need for growth and delegation. In her first year of business, while operating as a sole proprietor, Liz received a business call just 45 minutes after giving birth to her daughter. This experience made her realize the unsustainability of handling everything alone and prompted her to hire employees. However, she admits that delegating was initially challenging due to her high expectations for customer and carrier experiences, as well as her tendency to be a "control freak" in the early days of the business.

[00:29:12 - 00:31:17] Discussing growth strategies, Liz emphasizes the importance of long-term thinking and flexibility in decision-making. As the sole shareholder of Able Transport, she has been able to maintain a long-term perspective, focusing on positioning the company for market upswings rather than just the next 90 days. Liz also shares a valuable lesson about the importance of setting up systems and structures correctly from the beginning. She's currently leading a major reorganization of her company, a process that has been challenging and time-consuming. She advises other entrepreneurs to think about scalability from day one, as it's more difficult to "erase and rewrite" than to start with the right foundation.

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